Where We Worship
Church committed to caring for each other

By Zenaida Serrano Espanol
Advertiser Staff Writer

Pastor Klayton Ko stands beside his wife, Sharon, as he gives a sermon to the congregation at First Assembly of God in Red Hill. The Pentecostal church believes strongly in supporting missionaries. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

Name of church: First Assembly of God, Honolulu

Our denomination or affiliation: Pentecostal, Assemblies of God

Where we are: 3400 Moanalua Road in Red Hill

Our numbers: 2,500

Our pastor: Klayton Ko, senior pastor

What we believe (our mission): Bringing God's salvation to the ends of the earth and making disciples of all nations through the power of the Holy Spirit.

"Having the right passion is important in life," Ko said, "and that's why we're committed to building people with a passion for the Lord and a vision to reach the lost."

Our history: The church was founded in February 1947 by the Rev. Eldon Vincent, and the congregation first assembled in Lincoln School in Makiki. The church moved in 1949 to another Makiki location, on the corner of Lunalilo and Victoria streets, and finally moved to its present site in 1990.

We're excited about: The annual Family Life Retreat, themed "Catch the Fire," June 11-14 at Hilton Turtle Bay Golf & Tennis Resort. Ko is expecting about 400 to 500 members to attend the retreat, which he described as a way for members to "get away . . . and to hear God's purpose for our lives."

Another event coming up is the Hawai'i Worship Conference 2001, July 19-21 at the church, at which they're expecting about 500 to 1,000 people. It's themed "His Glory for the Nation," is open to the public and costs $40 per person.

"The purpose of the conference is to equip worship leaders to lead more effectively in worship in our churches," Ko said.

First Assembly of God members will also take part in "31 Days of Prayer to Pentecost," which began yesterday. It is a monthlong event at the church involving various prayer activities through Pentecost Sunday, June 3.

What's special about us: "We really cherish God's presence in everything that we do, but especially in worship," Ko said.

"What makes us special is that we're family," he added. "We're not just an organization, but we're a family working together, caring for one another."

Ko said that the church also believe strongly in missions.

"The last few years, we've given over half a million dollars towards missions outside of our church," Ko said. "We support many missionaries, but also we send out our own mission teams to start churches all over the world," such as in Osaka and Yokohama, Japan, London, and Mbale, Uganda.

In addition, Christian Academy, a ministry of First Assembly of God, is located on the grounds of the church. It is a private Christian school open to preschool through high school students.

Contact: 836-2300, e-mail firstaog@pixi.com or visit www.firstaog.com.

If you would like to recommend your church, temple or faith organization for a Where We Worship profile, e-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com, call 535-8174 or write: Where We Worship, Faith Page, The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802.